Coming Home
by didgeridoo
Summary: Jack hasn't seen Kate for three years and he's still thinking about her constantly. Will he ever see her again?


My Jatey writing experiment

**Well, **** just to prevent any confusion...the Losties have been rescued by some random ship some time between Post-Season 2 or Mid-Season 3...so the Oceanic 6 didn't happen**

**COMING HOME**

It's been three years since the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 got rescued. As soon as they got off the ship Jack was desperately looking for her – only to realise moments later that she had already left.

Jack and Kate each went their own way since their lips parted after a tender kiss that last night on the ship.

Not a single day has passed since Jack hasn't thought about her – remembering the good and bad times they shared on the island and how much he just enjoyed being around her, making her smile, being there for her.

He would just give anything, maybe even his life to look into those beautiful emerald eyes once again, to hear that cute laugh of hers, to see how the wind blows through her shiny brunette curls and oh what would he do if he could hear that soft voice of hers.

His longing for her just increased day by day – to such an extent that it was literally eating him up.

Jack never thought that he would be able to feel something so deep for someone before he met Kate. Even the feeling he had for his first wife, Sarah, were not even half as strong as the ones he had for the Kate

The more it killed him that he wasn't able to have her next to him at this very moment.

Instead of waking up to her - all he was waking up to was an empty space in his king sized bed. When he came back home from a rough 19-hours shift all that he was welcomed by was the dead silence of his appartment.

.

Once again he was being haunted by the thoughts of his much beloved Kate, thoughts about the first kiss they shared in the jungle - a kiss so deep and sensual, awaking his feelings which he had repressed so long before those events.

Jack sighed by that very memory and kept staring into the wine glass he was holding in his hand.

His heart was aching in knowing that he would probably never be able to taste something so sweet ever again.

"Everything okay, mate?!" Charlie asked with a concerned face, who was sitting right next to his friend on the sofa.

Jack forced a small smile and nodded - "Yeh sure, I'm alright!"

"You've been like this since we left! Don't you wanna be happy again? It's just so hard for us to see you all the time like this." Claire stated with a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah, why don't you get yourself a girlfriend? You haven't had a _single _date in _three_ years."

"I don't really feel like it and finding a right girl is not that easy..." Jack sighed.

"What about that nurse you like..."

Claire cut her fiance off and nodded: "Yep, Zoe is really nice! Why don't you take her out for a drink or something?"

"Don't get me wrong, I mean...yeah...Zoe is nice and she's a very good friend of mine but I could never see her as my girlfriend..." he answered and continued with a low and sad voice

"...and...she's just...not..."

_What the hell was he saying?_ He told them long ago that he was over her. But that was nothing but a big lie and he hated lying to his sister and his best friend, and sooner or later they would find out anyway so he decided to just give in and tell them straight away.

"Just not...?" Claire repeated his words, waiting for him to add something, while she was looking at Jack, who caught himself staring again at the red liquid in his glass once agen and it must have been for the hundredth time this evening

"Kate."

Jack could feel his own verbal chords trembling as he said that very name out loud. The heart-wrenching yet caring and loving tone of his voice was so intense that even Claire could feel her own heart breaking into pieces just by the the sound of it. Saying those four letters in that very combination out loud just hurt so much but at the same time it was Jack's favourite word to say.

"So much about being over her huh! I am very sorry to say this but it just hurts to see you like this. You really should move on. God damn it Jack, let her go!! You might not even see her _ever_ again."

"Charlie! Don't!" - Claire gave him a look of warning as she saw the tears building up in Jack's eyes. She moved next to Jack and started rubbing his back "Hey, it's okay! You really do miss her, hmmm?"

Jack just nodded silently with several tears running down his cheeks.

Charlie patted his friend: "I'm sorry if I said anything wrong...I didn't mean to hurt you, Jack. I'm very sorry!"

"No, its okay! You didn't say anything wrong...it's just..." his voice cracked at the thought of what he was about to say and his sobbing grew harder.

He leaned forward and threw his head in his hands "...I just love her so much! She's the love of my life!"

The words were barely audible for Charlie & Claire through all the sobbing and it was so painful for them to just see Jack in such a subdued and forlorn state and not knowing where to start in helping him.

"Ssssshhhh!" Claire pulled her brother in a deep comforting hug, which Charlie joined only seconds later.

The three of them were sitting like that for a while until Jack pulled away and got off the sofa, taking a look at his watch.

"I should go and hop to bed. It's getting late and I have to be at the hospital early in the morning."

Charlie and Claire followed him to the door as Claire pulled him again into a soothing hug.

"You sure, you are gonna be okay tonight? I mean you can stay the night if you want to!" – Claire offered.

"Thanks for the offer but I better go...I'll be okay!" Jack stated.

"Okay but promise me that you'll give us a call if you need anything! You hear me?" Claire insisted

"I promise" Jack uttered to ease his sister's worry.

"And Jack..." Charlie called after him as Jack was about to leave. "Sayid and me are gonna go bowling on Saturday. You should come along as well, it might cheer you up a bit."

"Sure! Thanks!" he nodded and gave his friend a little smile or the closest to a smile he could come up with at the moment

"Good night, you two" and with those words he turned around and walked off, thinking how grateful he actually was to have such a caring sister like Claire and a supportive friend like Charlie was.

As so many nights before, Jack shifted from one side to the other in his bed, not being able to sleep. He was wondering where she was, what she was doing, if she was okay...A shiver went down his spine by the scary thought that she might not even be alive. Jack barely slept this night as he was thinking about her constantly.

"Kate, please, come back to me!" Jack whispered to himself as a tear rolled down his cheek, filled with hope that fate would be on his side some day and bring him his beloved Kate.

**So what do you think guys? Should I continue this story? It all depends on you so please drop a line and lemme know what you think! Thanks!**


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